Leap of faith

Isn’t this a sight that makes your stomach leap into your chest? Or perhaps it makes your heart fall into your stomach?

This is something we see frequently at our house. By frequently, I mean about 20 times a day.

Every other baby in this family has learned at an early age to crawl down the stairs. We have taught them to turn over on their bellies and scoot down. Each one has learned the skill within a few weeks. And all of them have become proficient at descending the stairs well before his or her first birthday.

Not this one.

She likes to stand at the top of the stairs with her toes practically teetering off the edge. “No, Jayda!” we say in a stern voice. “Jay-jay go down!” we say, as we have told her a million times before while making her slide down on her tummy.

But all of this attention only makes her smile even more and laugh as she moves toward the edge of that top stair.

Finally, one of us can’t take it anymore. We rush toward her to stop her.

And what does she do?

She leaps into our arms, laughing with delight. The “catcher” has a near heart attack.

Of course, we put her back at the top and make her slide down on her tummy. But it doesn’t help.

What baby wouldn’t love the thrill of having any one of her five older family members come running toward her just so she can take a flying leap?